Mental health nursing worksheet with answers

A teenager starts dressing and speaking like a famous singer she admires. Which defence mechanism is this?

1. AIdentification
2. BSuppression
3. CProjection
4. DRationalisation

According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome, what are the three stages of the stress response?

1. AForming, storming and norming
2. BOrientation, working and termination
3. CDenial, anger and acceptance
4. DAlarm, resistance and exhaustion

Near the end of a conversation, the nurse says, "Today we talked about your sleep, your worries about work and your plan to call your sister." Which technique is this?

1. AExploring
2. BSummarising
3. CRestating
4. DFocusing

A patient taking clozapine complains of drooling, especially at night. How should the nurse respond?

1. AExplain that it is a sign of an allergic reaction to the medicine
2. BRecognise it as a common side effect, report it and suggest a towel on the pillow
3. CTell him that it means the clozapine dose is too low and needs to be increased
4. DStop the clozapine immediately, because this is a sign of agranulocytosis

Which preparation is usual before electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?

1. ANo preparation, because the patient stays fully awake during ECT
2. BStopping all regular medicines for 2 weeks before the first treatment
3. CEating a large meal to prevent low blood sugar during the seizure
4. DFasting for several hours, because a brief general anaesthetic is given

What is the key difference between factitious disorder and malingering?

1. AIn factitious disorder, the symptoms are not produced on purpose at all
2. BIn factitious disorder, the aim is to be seen as ill; in malingering, the aim is an external reward
3. CMalingering is a severe mental disorder, while factitious disorder is not classed as a mental disorder at all
4. DThere is no real difference between them, and both terms mean exactly the same thing

The family of a patient with schizophrenia asks how they can tell if he is becoming unwell again. Which signs should the nurse teach them to watch for?

1. ATalking more openly with his family about his feelings and his plans for the future
2. BPoor sleep, withdrawal from others and increasing suspiciousness
3. CA better appetite and more interest in his hobbies
4. DMild dry mouth in the first week of a new medicine

The parents of a 15-year-old with anorexia nervosa ask what treatment is usually recommended first. Which answer is most accurate?

1. AFamily-based treatment, in which the parents take an active role in restoring the child's eating
2. BMedicine alone, because therapy is not effective in adolescents
3. CLeaving the young person to decide on her own when to start eating more
4. DLong-term treatment in an inpatient unit far away from her family, so that the parents cannot interfere